SophiaGrace~Flay is the most Handsomest dog in all the land(I'm not even slightly biased one bit of course lol).
He's 9 years old but still very active indeed, he loves to chase a ball on the beach & have a swim in the sea of a morning-that pic was taken a couple of weeks ago after a nice swim, which is why he's a bit wet looking in it.
We were actually having a go at recreating a photo I took when he was about 2 years old-I have attached it so you can see how he's changed over the years, he is slowing down a little these days & I have to take care not to have him overdo it as his hips can get a little stiff the next day.
Lurchers are a type of dog rather than a breed of dog, yes absolutely. The idea is to take a fast dog, usually a sighthound such as a Deerhound, Saluki or Greyhound(Flay's 'biological' mum haha was a Greyhound-I think you probably see Deerhound in him because I shot the pic from so low down) & breed with a more biddable natured, more energetic dog such as a Collie or a Lab,these days people often mix Staffordshire Terrier or other similar robust type of dogs into the mix also(Flay's dad was a Collie-he's quite a typical cross).
This gives a fast, intelligent dog that can run all day & wishes to please his master-a perfect beast for hunting which was the original use for the Lurcher-bred by Gypsies initially.
Lurchers have never been recognised as a breed of dog by the kennel club & probably will never be, which is just fine as it means they don't tend to suffer from the health issues seen in many pedigree bred dogs.
A cross bred dog is more often a healthier dog as the gene pool is wider, it saddens me to see what has often been done within dog breeding circles(& condoned/promoted by the kennel clubs worldwide) where the animals asthetics have become more important to breeders than the original purpose & health of the dog.
I'll climb back down off my soap box again-sorry lol
I have had pure bred dogs in the past & I probably will again at some point(I'm particularly fond of Staffi's & English Bull Terriers-both of which I have had before).
Of course it's also true to say that Lurchers can be unhealthy, or have health issues, indeed Flay has a condition similar to human colitis which means he has to have special pre-enzyme digested food, which costs a fortune but it works a treat so it's all good.
& I got so carried away talking about Flay(as I do) that I didn't answer your other questions-sorry....
Taiji has definately made a difference in my life, I spent the biggest part of my 20s either hiding under a duvet, or getting smashed on whatever substances came to hand. For an amount of time I couldn't hold down a job. I'll never allow myself to go back there & I'm determined that the loss I have suffered this time around is something that I'm far better equipped to deal with & although I struggle at times I am stronger & wiser than I was back then & I will not lose out on my 40s as I did in my 20s.
The instructors I have learned from have worked directly with the family that this particular style of Taiji comes from. I myself have not, however, I am happy that what I study & am passing on is authentic without having passed through many hands on it's way to me & I know how important it is to my instructors(& myself) that we do not alter what we are passing along.
I teach in many places in the area, I teach in my local Maggie's Centre, in Leisure Centres & even some retirement homes-I get to meet & work with some lovely people.
